Commerce Tower is a 30-story

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...

located in

Downtown Kansas City, Missouri Downtown Kansas City is the central business district (CBD) of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City metropolitan area. It is between the Missouri River in the north, to 31st Street in the south; and from the Kansas–Missouri state line e ...

, USA. Constructed in 1965, it is the ninth-tallest habitable structure in the

Kansas City Metropolitan Area The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more th ...

, and since the completion of the

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

, it was the first locally designed

Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

. The building was designed by architects

Keene & Simpson & Murphy Keene & Simpson was an American architectural firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, and in practice from 1909 until 1980. The named partners were architects Arthur Samuel Keene FAIA (1875–1966) and Leslie Butler Simpson AIA (1885–1961). I ...

, who moved their offices into the building after it was completed."Murphy, John Thomas" in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 651. The facade is constructed of pre-cast stone and glass, (known as a "curtain-wall") creating a unique look, especially for its time. When it opened, its top two floors were home to th
Top of the Tower
restaurant, which served five varieties of ethnic cuisine in separate dining areas decorated to match the food served there. The last 15-foot beam was signed by 18,000 people including

Harry S Truman Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

. Commerce Tower is no longer occupied by its namesake,

Commerce Bancshares Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH) is a registered bank holding company based in Missouri, United States, with primary hubs in Kansas City and St. Louis. It is the corporate parent of Commerce Bank, which offers a diversified line of finan ...

. Commerce Bank moved its headquarters to 1000 Walnut Street in 1985. It is also home to the downtown campus of

Park University Park University is a private university in Parkville, Missouri. It was founded in 1875. In the fall of 2017, Park had an enrollment of 11,457 students. History The school which was originally called Park College was founded in 1875 by John A. ...

. The building is expected t
change ownership
in 2013 and be redeveloped into a $90 million mix of office, residential, and educational uses—due, in part, to construction of the

KC Streetcar The KC Streetcar is a streetcar system in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Construction began in May 2014. The system opened for service on May 6, 2016. The KC Streetcar is free to ride, as it is funded by a transportation development district ...

right outside the building's main entrance.

References

*Kansas City, Missouri; An Architectural History, 1826–1990. (Copyright 1992). George Ehrlich. Retrieved August 14, 2007. (Page 141) *American Institute of Architects Guide to Kansas City Architecture & Public Art. (Copyright 2000). American Institute of Architects/KC. Retrieved August 14, 2007. (Page 26, Number 35) Skyscraper office buildings in Kansas City, Missouri {{Missouri-struct-stub Office buildings completed in 1965 Downtown Kansas City